Home > You'll Find Your Very Own 'One of a Kind' New Fiction Title @ JCPL!

You'll Find Your Very Own 'One of a Kind' New Fiction Title @ JCPL!

It is said that no two snowflakes are alike. There is a scientific explanation for this phenomena; something to do with ice, molecules, hydrogen and oxygen. I am no scientist, but I do know that when it comes to the human race, no two people are exactly alike, either.

My dad sums it up with the ‘grandpa-ism’ that “It’s just the human condition.” Over the years, the grandpa-isms have rolled out, one after another, and everyday conversation usually ends with one or another.

If there is drama unfolding that has nothing to do with our family or friends the usual response might be, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” If something doesn’t go my way, the response may be, “Too bad, so sad,” and if a surprising event occurs the answer is inevitably, “I’ve been to two county fairs, and never saw anything like that before!”

When it comes to reading tastes, my dad’s all around favorite was Larry McMurtry. Fond memories of those western covers are forever etched in my memory. Everyone has a favorite book, and the Jasper County Public Library has so many new fiction titles on the shelves that you’ll have a hard time choosing your next favorite. Read on!

Three ordinary people enter the world of the extraordinary when they are transformed by elaborate medical procedures that turn them into international curiosities. Meet Leon, a man who has had a small, yet very visible mechanical heart installed. Then there is Kathryn, happily cured of a genetic disease, but whose body is now covered in wooly black fur; then there is Christos, whose back has been implanted with metal wings. These three previously run of the mill individuals are now celebrities, but their fame may come with a price, and each icon now faces the possibility of danger in ‘The Wonders’ by Paddy O’Reilly.

Allison Darling lives in Monrovia, a charming seaside village where she is a stay at home mom raising three children. Allison is living her dream, but desperately wants to be liked by the other women in her neighborhood. When she is approached by the most powerful women in town to be a part of the Glamour Girls Company, Allison jumps at the chance; after all, she wants to be liked. But when Allison’s mother passes away and she begins to uncover the truth about her family background, she realizes that the magic she has repressed all of her life is real; she is a witch, and more than that, she is not the only witch in Monrovia. Reclaiming her legacy becomes very important to Allison as she must put her magic to use as she protects her town, her marriage and family in ‘Housewitch’ by Katie Schickel.

The relationship of brother and sister is put to the test in ‘Golden State’ by Stephanie Kegan. Living the idyllic life in the Berkeley Hills of California, Natalie Askedahl is happily married with two little girls, and a job she loves. The only thing missing in her life is her older brother, Bobby, who she worshipped as a child, but grew farther and farther away from as they became adults. Bobby seemed to just retreat within himself, putting walls up that Natalie could never penetrate. When Bobby is accused of carrying out a plot of terrorism against a California university, Natalie finds herself torn between protecting her brother and everyone else she holds dear as confusion, lies, and betrayals threaten every aspect of her life in this tale of danger, loss and decisions gone wrong.

Ian and Priss have always been best buddies, playing together in their small Upstate New York town as children and staying together through their escape into New York City. Ian, however, has grown into a responsible young man; successfully writing graphic novels, while Priss has never escaped her dark side. Priss is still and always will be trouble; into booze and drugs, their late nights are beginning to wear on Ian. When Ian meets the love of his life, his life changes for the better, but Priss, angry and jealous over the changes in her friend, begins to turn on him, and when terrible things begin to happen in a fatal attraction sort of way, Ian has no idea how to put a stop to it in ‘Crazy Love You’ by Lisa Unger.

You have to love grandpa-isms, for they are the staple of life, and hold the key to ‘the human condition.’ The great conversationalist that was my Dad has left us now, but memories and grandpa-isms will forever remain in my mind and heart. I would like to thank my Dad for his words of wisdom, and for the humorous grandpa-isms that will carry me through all the days of my life. You will be missed, Pops, more than you’ll ever know, for you were one of a kind.